Meadow Cottage

Meadow Cottage is a house dating from the mid-16th century, with alterations from the 17th century. It has one storey and attics, featuring a two-cell lobby-entrance plan. The building is timber-framed and rough-cast, topped with a thatched roof that is half-hipped at the left-hand end, and includes thatched gabled small-pane casement dormers. There are small-pane casements from the 19th and 20th centuries, along with a boarded entrance door from the 20th century, which is sheltered by an open lean-to porch with a pantiled roof.

The original three-bay structure from the 16th century is located at the left-hand end and is a notable example of base-cruck construction, typical of central Suffolk during this period. It features substantial plain framing, with a pair of base-crucks tied at the head beneath the half-hip, tension-braced, and showing evidence of a diamond-mullioned window. There are two additional open base-cruck trusses: one is centrally located over the hall chamber and is arch-braced, while the other is positioned against the axial chimney and is unbraced. The closed truss at the right-hand (service) end was modified in the 17th century but likely had a fully hipped design without base-crucks. The interior includes heavy unchamfered floor joists and arch wind-braced studwork, along with a wide lintelled open fireplace in the hall. The service cell was extended to the right by one bay in the 17th century, making this an early example of the lobby-entrance plan, where the second cell contained an unheated service room.